A Thing in the Life
by TheBlueFoxtrot A Samba
Summary: Drabbles of various length on different things for Mai and Zuko.  A Submission to Zai Week. The Best one is definitely the last.
1. Chapter 1

I, of course, do not own Avatar.

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These are mostly unrelated and can be set to whenever you want them to be, past, future, or present unless a time line is given or connection is given.

Submission to Zai Week Day 1

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**Daydream**

To look at her, one really wouldn't take Mai to be a daydreamer. On the contrary, it was one of her forms of escape from her repressive, dreary life. She had several reoccurring ones. Her favorite ones always had the same key element: Zuko.

When she was a girl and her mother scolded her for giggling at Lord Tushi, she'd imagine that Zuko was with her, laughing with her. Then they'd stick their tongues out at her mother, run off, and play somewhere. She'd be the first to admit she wasn't all that creative.

After his banishment, she tried to make her little fantasies stop. They were stupid, childless and unattainable. And it actually hurt a little. Still, she found herself wondering what would have happened if she'd went with him. Or maybe he'd come back in the dead of night, her prince come to charm her and take her away with him to sail the world. Agni, she'd had entire conversations with him in her head during several of the painfully boring 'parties' she'd had to attend.

Sometimes, he'd sit with her, just be there. He'd smile at her. She wouldn't blush this time.

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A/N: You don't even know how I had to restrain myself from posting this upon completion. More to come

Random and as out of nowhere as it is, I will totally dedicate one of the upcoming (like tomorrow and the day after) fics to you if you can tell me Aunt Wu's exact, word for word, prediction for Sokka. It's important if I'm going to do this fic I'm kicking around.


	2. Chapter 2

Submission to Zai Week Day 2

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**Green**

He watched as she dressed herself in emerald and peridot robes, appropriate for their time in Bah Sing Se. He was never one for fashion or caring what he or anyone else wore one way or another, but he preferred Mai in green. He thought it went well with her amber eyes.

She glanced at him in the mirror as she adjusted the knives tucked up her sleeves.

"What?"

"You look nice in green."

She arched a brow at him.

"Ty Lee said the same thing. It's kinda disturbing that you two have the same taste in clothes."

He snorted.

"I wouldn't be caught dead wearing anything remotely pink."

A devious smile spread across her lips.

"Oh, we'll see."

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A/N: You'll see how she gets him, too. Have patience. It's a virtue.

Dedicated to **Elfowlgirl**. Once again, thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

Submission to Zai Week Day 2

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**Forever**

"Fire Lord Zuko, do you take Lady Mai to be your wife? Do you promise cherish and protect her, to be loyal to her and love her until the sun goes dim?"

Zuko grinned nervously at Mai, his gaze never wavering.

"I do," his voice was strong and clear without a hint of uncertainty or hesitation.

"Lady Mai, do you take Fire Lord Zuko to be you husband? Do you promise to obey and comfort him, to be loyal to him and love him until the sun goes dim?"

Mai, surprisingly enough looking on the verge of tears, gave Zuko a watery smile.

"I do."

Those two words spoke more emotion, love, joy, excitement, than anyone but Zuko knew her capable of feeling.

Some words later, and the sage declared,

"May Agni bless this union and may it last into forever."

The Fire Sage sent Zuko a sly grin.

"You may kiss your bride."

"Finally," Mai muttered as he took her in his arms and dipped her as he kissed her.

"LONG LIVE FIRE LORD ZUKO!" went a cheer from the crowd.

"LONG LIVE FIRE LADY MAI!" came another, the friends of the bride and groom being the loudest between both sets.

Ty Lee took a deep breath and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"IT'S ABOUT TIME! WHOOOO!"

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A/N: 'Love: a temporary insanity, curable by marriage.' I just found this quote to be appropriate.

I realize that the ceremony is culturally inaccurate, but I've never seen an Asian cultured wedding and didn't want to try for something I don't know anything about.

There are more after this one so I'll have to double up to get them all in for Zai Week.

R&R


	4. Chapter 4

Submission to Zai Week Day 3

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**Thunder**

There was a loud crackling and Mai could feel her hair standing on end seconds before an explosion that seemed to shake the whole palace. Mai sprang up in bed, reaching for Zuko and pulling a blade from under her pillow in one fluid motion. Her eyes scanning the almost-sunrise darkness of their room froze when she didn't feel Zuko next to her. He wasn't there.

That was lightning; she'd been around the princess long enough to know.

And Zuko wasn't there.

She bolted out to the balcony, hurriedly securing her knife shooter to her left arm. Down in the courtyard below, she could see Zuko. He was on the ground. Before that thought had fully sunk in, she was on the ground running to him.

"Zuko!" she called to him.

She skidded to a stop when he sat up. He smiled and waved at her.

"I can't believe I actually did it!" Aang shouted.

Mai looked at him for the first time, her confusion clear.

"I told you that you could," Zuko said as he casually stood up and dusted himself off. "Congratulations."

"What is going on?" Mai demanded.

"I just shot lightning! It was awesome! The shot went a little off, but Zuko redirected it so – AAAUGH!" Aang screamed when he was pinned to the pillar behind him by Mai's knives.

"Mai, what are you –" Zuko stopped talking when Mai slapped him across the face. Hard.

She was looking at him with tear-brightened eyes.

"No more lightning."

Zuko stared at the tears in his wife's eyes, shocked that it bothered her so much. He gathered her to him in his arms and held her tight.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her hair. She was trembling. They stayed like that for sometime, just holding each other.

"Um…could one of you get me down?" the completely forgotten Avatar asked. "I think I'm getting a cramp and I really have to use the bathroom."

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A/N: Three firebenders canon-wise are known to be able to produce lightning: Iroh, Azula, and (formerly) Ozai. You can see why she's panicked. You know, I would love, I mean, really love if y'all reviewed.


	5. Chapter 5

Submission to Zai Week Day 4

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**Lipstick**

Zuko was fully prepared for a fight when he was pulled into an alcove. Imagine his pleasure when he finds not an assassin's blade (or fire, or water knife, or a really big stick or…I'll stop now) attempting to kill him, but his wife pressing her lips passionately to his. After two seconds processing, he responded in kind. She broke away from his mouth to kiss his cheeks, neck, jaw. He didn't know what was going on with Mai right now, but he wasn't about to complain.

But then, as suddenly as she'd started, she stopped. He stared at her confused and annoyed as she stood before him panting and grinning before she brushed something off of her lips, loosed herself from his grasp and left the alcove.

After he'd recovered from his assault and he remembered where he'd been headed, he went to Sokka's room to ask him about…he didn't remember but he was sure it'd come back to him. He knocked and waited for permission to enter, not wanting a repeat of the last time Sokka had come for a visit with his bride. When he heard Sokka call for him to enter, he crossed the threshold and saw his friend's profile as he went over some documents laid out on the desk he was sitting at that the Mechanist had given him.

"What's up?" Sokka asked absently, still staring at the papers.

"Um…I kind of forgot."

Sokka blinked but still didn't look at the Fire Lord. Instead he turned to another sheet.

"And people think you're so smart. Man, if they only knew what an idiot you really were," he shook his head with a mocking smile, knowing that Zuko wouldn't take offense to his words.

"It's not my fault," Zuko said as he crossed to the desk and sat in the chair opposite Sokka's. "Mai just attacked me for no reason and it slipped my mind. You know how it is."

"Getting attacked by girls? Oh, yeah," Sokka finally looked up at Zuko. He promptly burst out laughing so hard he fell out of his chair and hit the floor even harder.

"Ow," he said then guffawed even louder.

"What is your problem?" Zuko abruptly stood up, eye wide in horror, "You haven't been drinking cactus juice again, have you?"

"N-n-no!" he managed to squeak out. "Your face!" he yelled, pointing.

Zuko glared at him. Anyone who wasn't used to those kinds of glares would have spontaneously combusted under that gaze. But Sokka was immune to glares from the master firebender, his little (master waterbender) sister, and oddly enough, Toph.

Just as Zuko was about to decide whether he should hit him or not because he may not be able to stop, Sokka gasped out,

"Mirror! The mirror…oh, spirits, it hurts! HA!"

Zuko went and stood in front of the mirror hanging on the wall behind Sokka's abandoned chair. He was pink. Not completely, just mostly on his face and neck…where Mai had kissed him.

"She didn't."

"Oh, but she did. Zuko, I gotta tell you, your girl's got a crazy sense of humor," he told Zuko now that the hysterics had mostly stopped. He still giggled everytime he look at him though.

Zuko wiped at the pink (Sokka insisted it was magenta) lipstick off with his sleeve, but that didn't help much.

"You have to use make-up remover," Sokka told him, now mostly calm with only his lip twitching.

Zuko arched a brow and looked at him.

"Why do you know that?"

"Suki," he shrugged.

Zuko smirked evilly at him, and Sokka was struck with how he looked like his sister.

"That's right. She likes for you to cross-dress for her."

"It was for training! And only one time!"

"Of course it was."

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A/N: the companion piece to 'Green'. Duh.

You know, there is nothing wrong with reviewing. Shoutout to **Elfowlgirl**, my first reviewer, and **gloomy maiko lover**, who reviewed all the chapters. You are both beautiful people.


	6. Chapter 6

A Submission to Zai Week Day 5

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**Waterfall**

The waterfall was easily fifty feet high, a wide thread of reflected sun as it crashed down on the water below. A fine mist rose from it and the air shimmered with a rainbow effect.

Mai sat silently for a few moments then asked,

"Isn't this the part where I'm supposed to sigh about how beautiful it is?"

"Yeah," Zuko agreed, "Then I say 'I know' while I'm staring at you."

"Right, and I either say 'I meant the waterfall' or blush demurely or something."

"Demurely?" Zuko snorted.

"I can be demure."

"I know you can."

"Don't patronize me."

"I would never."

She rolled her eyes at him.

Zuko chuckled as he said,

"It's beautiful."

Mai's eyes widened fractionally as she tried not to laugh. She cleared her throat before she turned to him and said,

"I know."

"I meant the waterfall," he snickered, completely failing on his pathetic attempt at demure.

She couldn't keep going after that. She broke out in one of her rare laughs. Zuko kept his quieter though it pained him, the better to hear hers that way.

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a/n: 'Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.'


	7. Chapter 7

Submission to Zai Week Day 6

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**Music**

Mai couldn't dance to the beat of a tune to save her life. Neither could Zuko. That's what happens when a nation collectively bans dancing for near a hundred years (which is the **ultimate** proof that Sozin was evil and bat-guano crazy). Mai, for one thing, had no rhythm. Zuko simply didn't feel comfortable doing it, and it showed.

That isn't to say that the two couldn't dance.

Zuko's mastery of fire had far exceeded expectation. Zuko moved with the fire. They drew the same breath, hearts beat at the same time. And they flowed in a way more beautiful than words could portray. It was natural, and pure, and a life song. He was now more than a match than Jeong-Jeong, whose firebending abilities were near legendary. Though even Jeong-Jeong couldn't match him when it came to bending doubled with the use of, say dao blades.

Mai's ken-jutsu and skill with anything as sharp as a toothpick was now, some years into Zuko's reign, a great deterrent to any remaining assassin attempts. With barely a glance, a stiletto could pin a fly to the wall by its wings. She could put men down (whether they got up on their own or under a sheet depended on her mood) in a matter of seconds.

Together, steel and fire blended together in a dance none could rival. They danced to their own beat.

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One more after this tomorrow then it's done.


	8. Chapter 8

A big thank you to **gloomy maiko lover, Tar Irene, NessaMahtar, Kimjuni2, J.J. Bean, Lord Shade, liesygirl, **and** Elfowlgirl.**A Submission to Zai Week Day 7

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**Princess **

Lots of little girls dream of being a princess when they grow up. The peasants even had dragon tales about princes falling in love with a commoner and taking her back to be his bride. In reality, that would never happen because the day before Koh would give all of his stolen faces back and the whole world would implode.

Peasants weren't the only ones who aspired to match themselves with royal blood. Mai's mother was a social butterfly who thrived on the attention and praise of others, to be recognized as someone greater than they and whispered about behind her back. Her father was a political man-whore. He'd never slept with anyone (that Mai knew about) but he'd do whatever, _whatever_, was asked of him if he believed it would further his goals. Imagine their pure ecstasy when the Fire Nation Princess chose their little girl as a companion.

She was instructed to do whatever the young (spoiled, EVIL) princess wished in order for her parents to gain favor in the court. When she showed interest in the prince, (he wasn't next in line, but [noble] beggars can't be picky about princes!) they were on cloud nine. Mai had never seen her parents so happy. They'd actually danced around the room with each other. She'd done her best to not show how embarrassed and freaked out she was by it.

After he was banished, her mother had locked herself in her room for a week without eating (although Mai had seen the maid go in with a plate of food and when she retrieved it, it was empty). Her father 'worked late' and came home smelling of liquor and a strange, sweet smoke. Their little girl's dream of being a princess had kneeled on the ground and been burned out of existence, and they were heartbroken over her heartbrokenness, you see.

Then he came back again. Honestly, this boy would have to be more considerate. Her parents simply could not take this emotional roller-coaster. And their daughter was officially being courted by the now war-hero, Avatar slayer, Crown Prince Zuko who was instrumental in bringing Bah Sing Se down.

Mai's father would like to take this time to say to his brother 'BOOYAH! In your face!'. (This would be his brother, not to be confused with Mai's uncle on her mother's side who runs the prison. It's her father's brother who owns the steel mines and refinery.)

Then he turned traitor and went to join the Avatar to teach him firebending so he could defeat the Fire Lord. And Mai went to confront him at Boiling Rock, attacked the guards, defied the (CROWN!) princess, and was thrown in prison.

Mai's mother cursed a flaming blue streak.

'Why the CENSORED do these CENSORED things keep happening to us? We are EXTREMELY CENSORED good people!'

Her father sat in a chair, staring off into space as his wife raged around him, throwing everything that was lighter than a table at the wall. He didn't move or blink, even when his wife collapsed from exhaustion some hours later in front of him.

And finally, miracle of miracles, the comet came, the Avatar actually defeated the Fire Lord, Zuko beat Azula and she went insane and he became Fire Lord. Joyous days, Mai was released from prison, too. Weeks after his coronation, they remained skeptical and didn't dare get their hopes up. In fact, they barely even acknowledged their daughter's renewed courtship.

'I'm so jealous!' some noble woman tittered. 'Imagine your daughter being engaged to the Fire Lord! Aren't you excited?'

'Whatever,' Mai's mother responded, her voice a dry, monotone, as she rolled her eyes.

'I'm not saying anything one way or the other until and if they make it past the honeymoon,' her father said.

She wasn't a princess, never would be now. They'd just have to live with Fire Lady. At this point, they couldn't really handle the stress of caring too much about it.

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A/N: Hm, not really Zai-centered, but I hope y'all like it anyway. This is my favorite one out of these. If someone else gets inspired off of this and writes a fic about Mai's parents during everything that happened, I would love if you messaged me about it.

Most of these word prompts were taken from **thatonereallycreepygirl **but she got them from her friend May**. **The characters and Avatar aren't mine either. You people should know that by now ;)

TTFN


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